Shloka 34

Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya

Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa

Devanagari script

गड्राह्दद उपस्पृश्य तथा चैवोत्पलावने । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति तत्र मासं कृतोदक:,जो गड़ाह्द और उत्पलावनतीर्थमें स्नान करके एक मासतक वहाँ पितरोंका तर्पण करता है, वह अश्वमेधयज्ञका फल पाता है

Transliteration

Gadāhrada upaspṛśya tathā caivotpalāvane | aśvamedham avāpnoti tatra māsaṁ kṛtodakaḥ ||

Translation

Quien realiza el baño ritual (el contacto purificador con las aguas sagradas) en el tīrtha llamado Gadāhrada, y asimismo en Utpalāvana, y luego durante un mes entero cumple allí los ritos de ofrenda de agua, alcanza un mérito equivalente al del sacrificio Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• गड्राह्रदात्: from (the tīrtha called) Gaḍrāhrada
• गड्राह्रदात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गड्राह्रद
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• उपस्पृश्य: having bathed / having performed ablution
• उपस्पृश्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपस्पृश्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• उत्पलावने: in (the tīrtha called) Utpalāvana
• उत्पलावने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पलावन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अश्वमेधम्: the Aśvamedha (sacrifice/its fruit)
• अश्वमेधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्नोति: attains; obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवाप्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• मासम्: for a month
• मासम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृतोदकः: having performed the water-offering (tarpana); one who has done the libation
• कृतोदकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतोदक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजड्रिय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Gadāhrada (tīrtha)
• Utpalāvana (tīrtha)
• Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• pitṛs (ancestors) (implied by kṛtodaka/tarpaṇa context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that sustained, sincere observance of ancestral rites (water-offerings) combined with pilgrimage bathing at sacred sites can confer merit comparable to the highest royal sacrifices, emphasizing accessible dharma grounded in devotion, discipline, and reverence for lineage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Anuśāsana Parva’s tīrtha-māhātmya style instruction, the speaker enumerates specific holy places and the fruits of bathing and performing rites there; here, Gadāhrada and Utpalāvana are praised, and a month-long performance of water-rites at that location is said to yield Aśvamedha-level merit.